Established in 2021, the Korean Image Archive, a volunteer organization, is committed to collecting, preserving, and providing access to historic Korean images found in the United States. To date, the archive has amassed a collection of 2757 original images and primarily focuses on those photographed pre-1970. As a valuable resource for those exploring Korea’s 20th-century photographic history, the Korean Image Archive strives to strengthen modern Korea’s connection to its past.
It also aims to make this collection accessible through its bilingual website, KoreanImage.com, in both English and Korean.
The following are excerpts from an email interview with Blair KH Naujok, the founder and director of the Korean Image Archive on March 20-24.
1. What inspired you to start the Korean Image Archive, and how did the idea come to fruition?
My grandparents laid the archive’s foundation 60 years ago. While stationed at the ASCOM City military base in Incheon’s Bupyeong District, my grandfather captured numerous color photographs. This district was not only where my grandmother’s family settled after the Korean War but also where the two of them first met. My grandfather held these photos for many years until his passing, and my grandmother kept them safe until gifting me the collection. For a time, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Then moving back to the US from Seoul, my grandmother’s hometown and my home of four years, at the start of the pandemic provided an opportunity. I had plenty of time, plenty of images, and a little bit of archival experience from college, so with the help of others I decided to start the Korean Image Archive.
2. What’s the Korean Image Archive’s mission?
Beyond collecting and caring for these photos for long-term survival, we want to help enrich modern-day Korea’s connection to its past by providing access to these photographs. I often think of the phrase ‘’you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been” when it comes to our work. The images in our archive show a piece of where my family comes from and in turn, show a piece of myself.
3. Could you share the process behind locating, selecting, and curating the images featured in the archive?
We scour online auctions, antique stores, militaria shows (meetups in the US where collectors buy and sell military-related items such as uniforms, patches, and occasionally photo albums), and social media for individuals to donate their photographs to our archive. The only condition is that the images must relate to Korea and its history.
4. How do you decide which periods, events, or figures in Korean history should be highlighted in the archive?
It’s less a matter of deciding on a specific history and more of highlighting the history that happens to enter our archive. So much of this material exists out in the world, and we only hold a fraction. However, our broad focus on Korea-related historic images has still led to quite an expansive collection. Our oldest images date back to the 1920s and originate from all over the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea and nearly every single province in the Republic of Korea. Images cover a vast amount of subject matter with over 180 featured subject galleries. Some subjects are more well-known, such as photos of Gyeongbokgung Palace appearing under Korean architecture. Others are less known but still important to Korean history like our images of mixed-race Koreans.
5. Could you share the story behind one of the images in the collection that you find notably meaningful?
We have a color photograph of a mixed-race Korean child from the 50s. It arrived at our archive without any additional information, so the history of this child is sadly lost, yet the image remains striking. He stands in the center seemingly lit by both the sun and his blonde hair, a contrast to the other Korean child in shade and slightly cut off by the frame's edge. A barbed wire fence separates both from the photographer, likely an American soldier, and is an expressive sign pointing to the origins of the first generation of mixed-race Koreans. It's also evidence and a reminder that mixed-race Koreans have long existed in Korea.
6. Have any collaborations helped bring the archive to a wider audience?
Yes, and we’re fortunate that each collaboration helps introduce our archive to someone new. Sometimes the results of these introductions appear quickly. I’m thinking of the time we licensed images to Yuri Doolan for his history book “The First Amerasians: Mixed Race Koreans from Camptowns to America”. One of the readers who interned for the organization Korean American Story reached out to collaborate on several history-focused social media posts. Later, I received an invitation to their annual gala in New York City, so there was a very direct impact on my life. I'm still waiting for results from other collaborations, but the groundwork has been laid; who knows how they’ll unfold.
7. What impact do you hope the Korean Image Archive leaves on its viewers?
I hope people will see the direct impact history has on the present and understand that despite different surroundings, weren’t so different from people in the past.
8. What are the next steps you have for the Korean Image Archive?
I have a few goals for the near future, all in different stages. We recently started a Korean-language Instagram page to better connect with our Korean audience. It’s also an effort for me to use more Korean since I live in the US. Next is to create more YouTube videos. Last year, I completed four, and I set a goal for six this year. I’m falling behind already but will get there.
Finally, I want to hold an in-person exhibit back in Korea. I had a few meetings during my recent trip to Seoul about this possibility, so hopefully we’ll have news to publicly share soon.
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